The project is 1) improving advanced courses in the Building Science undergraduate program through the use of whole-systems thinking; 2) using innovative tools and teaching methodologies to reinforce the current changes in the building industry from traditional design-bid-build project delivery to integrative design project delivery; and 3) having students experience a collaborative, project-based learning environment as a two-semester capstone program within their degree curriculum. The project replaces lecture-format courses with a project-based Integrative Design Experience Laboratory (IDEXlab) - an integrative design-fabrication-and-assembly studio with the objective of more profound learning as well as more effective and creative teaching. The pilot program seeks to bridge the gap between the traditional classroom and professions within the design and construction industry by promoting: 1) peer discussion and instruction; 2) effective collaboration between architectural and construction management concentration students; 3) critical thinking; 4) an interest in design and research in Building Science; and 5) the celebration of breakthroughs and discoveries.
The project addresses the building design and construction needs of rural Appalachia by providing a service-learning platform for students to engage while simultaneously offering real-world problems (which include physical sites, clients, and budgets) for students to solve creatively. Effective implementation of an innovative curriculum at Appalachian State University can serve as a model for other large institutions to consider the adoption of the IDEXlab curriculum as a replacement for traditional architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) science curricula.
